SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
AUBURN vs. ARKANSAS STATE
GAME DAY
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Honoring the 1988 Tigers: The SEC “Three-Peat” Champions
Freshman Focus: Adams Makes Immediate Impact
Auburn’s Top 5 NonConference Wins Since 2000
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day Edition
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Arkansas State deserves all of Auburn’s attention Will Gaines SPORTS@THEPLAINSMAN.COM
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With game one under their belt and a 1–0 start to the season, the Auburn Tigers now turn their attention to head coach Gus Malzahn’s former team, the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Arkansas State was dominant last week with a 62–11 victory over FCS team Arkansas-Pine Bluff. While Arkansas-Pine Bluff is not a SEC team like Auburn, the Red Wolves still did some impressive things in the victory. They had four different players rush for more than 100 yards, adding up to a total of 509 yards rushing for the team. This was something the Tigers did not see much of last week when they faced Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” offense, but when the Cougars did run the ball, they had success. Washington State finished with 120 yards on 23 carries. This is not a mind-blowing statistic, but for a team that does not run the ball often, it does not speak highly of Auburn’s run defense. With an Arkansas State team that does run the ball well coming to town, this will be a concern for defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. The good news is Auburn’s week one opponent was a quality team, while Arkansas State’s was
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SARAH MAY / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR
Head coach Gus Malzahn will face his old team in his second game at Auburn.
not. Auburn was tested last week, and while they did not play a perfect game, they did earn valuable experience and confidence. On offense, Auburn’s run game should be an advantage against Arkansas State. The Tigers finished with 297 yards rushing on 45 attempts, averaging more than six yards per carry. If the Tigers can repeat their success on the ground, with a little improvement thrown in, the Tigers will take a major advantage into week two. A negative for the Tigers offense will be the passing game. Nick Marshall’s debut was far from impressive. He finished 10-for-19 for 99 yards with no touchdown passes. This must improve if the Tigers want to pull off a victory. An improved passing game would also help make the run game more effective by not having the offense to be one-dimensional. On defense, the Tigers have work to do from top to bottom. While the defense struggled at times last week, they did a lot of good things considering that four players were missing because of injury. In 2012, the Auburn defense had two interceptions total for the entire season. In week one of the 2013 season, they had three. Freshman defensive tackle Montravius Adams had a solid first game, finishing with two solo tackles and one sack. There are aspects he can, and must, improve, but he should be a solid player this week. The biggest area Auburn will have to overcome this week is a lack of motivation. Arkansas State, going into this game, has everything to gain and nothing to lose, while Auburn has nothing to gain and everything to lose. The Red Wolves, a solid football team, will come into Jordan-Hare Stadium and look to get revenge on their former coach. If Auburn does not take this team seriously, the Tigers could be in trouble. While I think Auburn should be on upset alert, I still think the Tigers will come away with the victory. But the victory will have to be earned with focus, motivation and solid execution. Last week’s performance should be a wake-up call for the Tigers, and it will help motivate them as they prepare for the Red Wolves. The game will probably stay close for most of the game, but I predict Auburn will pull away to a 31–17 victory.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
3
The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day Edition
ANNIVERSARY TEAM
Honoring the 1988 SEC ‘Three-Peat’ Champs Jeffrey Moore SPORTS REPORTER
During halftime of the Saturday, Sept. 7 game against Arkansas State, Auburn’s 1988 SEC champion football team will be honored. The 1988 Tigers, led by legendary coach Pat Dye, went 10–2 on the way to their third SEC championship in a row. Their only defeats came at the hands of fellow SEC co-champions LSU in Baton Rouge and in the Sugar Bowl against Florida State, losing by a combined seven points. The 1988 Auburn defensive unit was the best in the country, leading the nation in scoring defense (7.2 points per game), total defense (218.1 yards per game) and rushing defense (63.2 yards per game).
After the loss to Florida State in the 1989 Sugar Bowl, FSU head coach Bobby Bowden affirmed how difficult it was to move the ball on the Tigers’ defense. “I let Auburn’s defensive line intimidate me,” Bowden said. “I looked at 11 games on film, and nobody stuffed the ball on Auburn at the goal line.” Leading that stingy Auburn defense was the best defensive lineman in the country, defensive tackle Tracy Rocker. Rocker brought home both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award, which honor college football’s top interior lineman and defensive lineman or linebacker, respectively. In doing so, Rocker became the first SEC player to win both awards. Rocker was also named the SEC’s Most Valuable Player.
COURTESY OF LUKE INGULS
Tracy Rocker (No. 74) closes in on a quarterback during the 1988 UNC game.
The Auburn offense was no slouch either. After a season opening win over Kentucky, Auburn hosted Kansas for what
would go down as one of the most impressive offensive performances in school history. Led by quarterback Reggie Slack and running backs Stacy Danley and James Joseph, they cruised to a 56–7 blowout victory. They rushed and passed for over 300 yards for the first time in program history and set the school record for yards per play, a record that would stand for more than 20 years. Auburn cruised to easy wins over Tennessee and North Carolina, which set them up for a mid-season showdown with SEC rival LSU. Though the Tigers’ hopes for a national championship were crushed with the loss, the “earthquake game” has gone down forever in college football lore. In a classic defensive struggle,
Friday, October 4
Auburn held on to a 6–0 lead late in the fourth quarter in Baton Rouge. But with 1:47 left in the game, LSU quarterback Tommie Hodson hit tight end Eddie Fuller in the end zone to secure the 7–6 win and send LSU fans into a frenzy. Legend has it the crowd’s reaction to the touchdown was so loud that it registered as an earthquake on an on-campus seismograph. Auburn used the narrow loss to LSU as motivation, shutting out their next three opponents and averaging more than 32 points over their next four games. The close win over rivals Georgia and Alabama secured the Tigers a trip to the 1989 Sugar Bowl against Florida State and the distinction of being one of Auburn’s most memorable teams.
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day Edition
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Craig brings Auburn experience to new coaching staff Taylor Jones SPORTS WRITER
After being named Auburn’s new head coach, Gus Malzahn cleaned house by bringing in a brand-new coaching staff with a whole new look. One familiar face, however, is co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig. “When I first got the job, I felt it was important that we got former Auburn players who have been successful as players, that understood what Auburn was about, had that special passion about it,” Malzahn said at this summer’s SEC Media Days. Craig was a member of the Tigers’ undefeated and untied 1993 team and
stayed at Auburn until 1997. He was a highly successful dual-threat quarterback who could launch the ball downfield or use his speed to make a play on the ground. In his four years on The Plains, Craig broke several Auburn all-time records, including season records for most pass completions (216) and passing yards (2,337). The Mobile native also broke the school’s singlegame record for the most yards by a single player when he racked up an astounding 445 all-purpose yards against Army in the 1996 Independence Bowl. Craig also led the Tigers to a SEC Western Division Championship and a Peach
CONTRIBUTED
ANNA GRAFTON / PHOTO EDITOR
Dameyune Craig as an Auburn player and assistant coach.
Bowl win against Clemson in his senior season. He went on to a successful professional career in the NFL Europa. His jersey from his time with the Scottish Clay-
mores is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a placard commemorates his all-time professional football record of 612 passing yards in one game. Craig began his coach-
ing career in 2003 as an assistant at his alma mater, Mattie T. Blount (Ala.) High School. He then coached at LSU as an assistant coach under current Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. In 2006, Craig took a job at Tuskegee University as the quarterbacks coach, leading the Golden Tigers to two Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. Craig was then lured away by South Alabama in 2008 to serve as the wide receivers coach, only to leave a year later to take the quarterbacks coaching position at Florida State. While at FSU, Craig
helped the Seminoles accumulate a 31–10 record, the 2012 ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl victory. Craig is known to be a recruiting specialist, helping Florida State acquire Scout. com’s top ranked recruiting class in 2011. After joining the staff at Auburn, Craig was named the country’s No. 1 recruiter according to 247Sports. com. “Of course, he’s known as a great recruiter, which he is,” Malzahn said. “But he is also a big-time football coach.” As Craig returns to his alma mater, the Tigers can only hope he will achieve as much success as an Auburn coach as he did as a player.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
5
The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day Edition
FRESHMAN FOCUS
Consistency, hard work earn veteran Sanders starting job Eric Wallace SPORTS WRITER
From his humble beginnings as a small-town football star in Clio, senior defensive end Craig Sanders’ consistent work ethic and perseverance have earned him a starting role on the 2013 Auburn defense. Sanders, who had two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in his first collegiate start against Washington State, worked his way into the rotation at defensive end this summer, despite heavy competition at the position. “Craig’s been really consistent,” said defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson. “There’s no question that all the additional repetitions helped him fundamentally. “He’s done pretty well.” Sanders said the transition to Johnson’s 4-2-5 defensive scheme has been a relatively smooth one. “I don’t want to say it’s simple, but it’s really easy to just grasp
everything that is going on as a defensive end,” Sanders said during fall camp. “During the spring, we had it all pretty much locked down,” he added. “So coming into fall camp that was really good because we already knew all the plays and what was going on.” A star player at Ariton (Ala.) High School, Sanders had 138 tackles and 27 sacks in his prolific high school career. Although he played for one of the state’s smallest schools, Sanders was rated as a four-star prospect when he signed with Auburn. Sanders proved to be too versatile an athlete to be limited to simply playing defense for Ariton. He amassed 1,887 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career rushing and receiving for the Purple Cats’ offense. When he wasn’t sacking quar-
terbacks or scoring touchdowns, Sanders also averaged 53 yards per kick as the punter for Ariton. Contributing on special teams and sparingly on defense, Sanders’ freshman season in 2010 was a memorable one, to say the least. “Coming in as a freshman and winning it all, that’s absolutely the best way to start off your college career,” Sanders said. Sanders was a regular in the Tigers’ defensive line rotation the past two seasons, but the veteran is bound to receive consistent time on the field after a solid performance in his first career start. The experience Sanders brings to the field will be vital in developing a group of talented, young defensive lineman for the future. Sanders said the disappointment of the 2012 campaign fueled him to make the most of offseason training. “The 2012 season was in the dumps,” Sanders said. “But our
ANNA GRAFTON / PHOTO EDITOR
Craig Sanders gets ready to rush the quarterback in the season opener.
spring has carried over into the summer and into fall camp. Ev-
eryone is buying into what Coach Malzahn has for us.”
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Defensive tackle Adams makes immediate impact Kyle Van Fechtmann SPORTS WRITER
The 6-foot-4, 305-pound freshman Montravius Adams, who was rated the No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 25 overall player in the 2013 recruiting class by Rivals. com, made an immediate impact for the Tigers as soon as he stepped onto Pat Dye Field in the second quarter of the season opener against Washington State. In his first college play, Adams sacked Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday for a 2-yard loss. “It felt great,” Adams said following the Tigers’ 31-24 victory. “It was my first play of the game, and I didn’t want to let the team down. At the snap of the ball, my only focus was to push down
the quarterback, and I did.” In Adams’ senior season at Dooly County (Ga.) High School, he had 127 tackles, 34 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. He led his team to the Class A state title game and also earned a spot on the Under Armour All-American Team. As a highly recruited fivestar defensive tackle, Adams received offers from eight SEC teams and several other top football programs. Adams shocked fans nationwide when he decided to sign with Auburn just days before National Signing Day. “A lot of people didn’t know, but I was going to go to Alabama,” Adams said. “It’s just when I went back to Auburn for my last official [visit], that’s when I made
ANNA GRAFTON / PHOTO EDITOR
Montravius Adams warms up before the first game of his Auburn career.
my mind about that it was where I wanted to be.” Because senior starting
defensive tackle Jeff Whittaker did not play against Washington State because
of surgery on his right knee, Adams was expected to get some playing time. But once Adams stepped on the field, he took full advantage of his opportunity. The freshman defensive tackle rarely came off the field because of his ability to constantly create pressure on the quarterback. “I wasn’t expecting to get so much playing time going into the game,” Adams said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity to make an impact this first game.” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn also noticed the impact Adams had on the field and spoke highly of him in his postgame press conference. “I’ll tell you what, Montravius is a big athlete, but he’ll
improve each game,” Malzahn said. And you know freshmen, what usually happens is they’ll improve each game.” In the second half of the game, Adams lined up next to senior defensive end Craig Sanders. The duo was able to force Halliday to get rid of the ball early. “(Adams) and I did a really good job communicating and executing the stunts,” Sanders said. Adams entered the postgame interview with a big smile on his face. “We sang the fight song when we all got to the locker room,” Adams said. “Everybody was just happy. It was a great way to kick off the season and set the tone for next week.”
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The Auburn Plainsman: Game Day Edition
Thursday, September 5, 2013
TOP FIVE NON-CONFERENCE WINS SINCE 2000 COMPILED BY JUSTIN FERGUSON / ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
No. 1: Auburn – 41 West Virginia – 30 Sept. 21, 2009
No. 2: Auburn – 27 Clemson – 24 (OT) Sept. 18, 2010
This September showdown at Jordan-Hare Stadium featured a lot of points and a lot more rain.A miniflash flood and lightning flashes only made the Auburn student section rowdier, even after speedy running back Noel Devine and the visiting Mountaineers went up 21–10 in the first quarter. The Tigers, led by a dominating Chris Todd-to-Darvin Adams connection, battled back to tie things up in the second half. After Adams snagged his third touchdown catch of the evening, Tiger linebacker Craig Stevens sealed the win with an interception return for a touchdown... right in front of the student section.
No. 3: Auburn – 37 Syracuse – 34 (3OT) Sept. 28, 2002
The 2010 Iron Bowl will definitely go down as the best comeback of that magical championship season, but an early-season showdown with the Clemson Tigers was Auburn’s first stunning win of that year. Clemson had a 17–0 lead before Wes Byrum drilled a field goal as the second quarter clock expired. In the third quarter, Auburn scored three unanswered touchdowns to take an improbable lead. The game would go into overtime, and a snap infraction on Clemson both wiped away a game-tying field goal and setup a game-ending miss from visiting kicker Chandler Catanzaro.
Although Auburn came into the matchup as big favorites over the visiting Orangemen from upstate New York, the Tigers fell behind 17–0 in the early stages of this late September meeting at Jordan-Hare Stadium. But backup quarterback Jason Campbell led the Auburn offense to a 24–17 lead, and then the madness started. Syracuse forced overtime with a great play from their backup quarterback, both sides missed a field goal in the first extra period, and running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams finished his 202-yard evening with two rushing touchdowns to give the Tigers a wild victory.
No. 4: Auburn – 23 Kansas State – 17 Sept. 1, 2007
No. 5: Auburn – 35 Wyoming – 21 Aug. 31, 2000
Freshman kicker Wes Byrum helped guide Auburn to a win as he started his illustrious collegiate career with three field goals against the visiting Wildcats. Surprisingly enough, Auburn will travel to Manhattan, Kan., next season to play the second half of this home-and-home series, seven years after the Tigers forced current Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback Josh Freeman to commit two turnovers in the final minutes. Quentin Groves and Antonio Coleman combined for a crushing scoop and score play, and the comeback was stonewalled by a Chris Evans interception.
Former NFL running back Rudi Johnson only played one season at Auburn, but it would go down as one of the greatest in school history. Johnson kicked off his SEC Player of the Year campaign with a 174-yard debut against the Wyoming Cowboys. The Tigers led for most of the game, but a pair of touchdown tosses by Jay Stoner had the Cowboys dreaming of a miracle upset. With Auburn leading 28–21 late in the fourth quarter, Johnson pulled off a devastating 70-yard touchdown run that lives forever, thanks to ESPN analyst Mike Tirico’s famous “RUDI JOHNSON!” call.
AUBURN IN THE No. 3: Miami 20, Auburn 18 (1984)
No. 3: Miami 20, Auburn 18 With the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, we take a look at the (1984) 21 former Tigers
ThisDay season-opening matchup that made it to their teams’ official 53-man Opening rosters.
Name (No.) Daren Bates (51) Ronnie Brown (23) Josh Bynes (56) Jason Campbell (17) Karlos Dansby (55) King Dunlap (77) Nick Fairley (98) Tyronne Green (69) Quentin Groves (54) Ben Grubbs (66) Josh Harris (47) Will Herring (54) Corey Lemonier (96) Sen’Derrick Marks (99) Brandon Mosley (67) Cam Newton (1) Jerraud Powers (25) Jay Ratliff (90) Carlos Rogers (22) Pat Sims (90) Ben Tate (44)
Team St. Louis Rams San Diego Chargers Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns Arizona Cardinals San Diego Chargers Detroit Lions New England Patriots Cleveland Browns New Orleans Saints Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints San Francisco 49ers Jacksonville Jaguars New York Giants Carolina Panthers Arizona Cardinals Dallas Cowboys San Francisco 49ers Oakland Raiders Houston Texans
Pos. LB RB ILB QB MLB T DT G OLB G LS OLB LB DT G QB CB NT CB DT RB
between college football power-
houses was filled with bad blood. NFL Career Notes When the No. 1 Season Tigers and the Entering Rookie No. 10Pro Hurricanes 2008 Bowler met at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., it Super Bowl XLVII Champion was a battle two sides that Started 72 between NFL Games at QB had rightful claim to the 1983 na2008 NFC Champion tional title.1st Despite having Entering Season in identical SD records, “Thefrom U” jumped Auburn in Returning 2012 Injury the final AP1st poll after defeating Entering Season in NE No. 1 Nebraska1st in the OrangeinBowl. Entering Season CLE Unfortunately Auburn, Miami Started 86 of 90forNFL Games quarterback Kosar had one Started as aBernie Rookie in ATL of theCareer best games of hisascareer, 131 Tackles a Proand the defense that limited future 2013 3rd Round Draft PickHeisman winner BoSeason Jackson in to less Entering 1st JAXthan 100 yards forced a late fumble Entering 2nd Season in NYto secure the narrow victory. 2011 Off. Rookie of the Year 2009 AFC Champion Four-Time Pro Bowler 2012 NFC Champion Entering 1st Season in OAK Averages 5.1 YPC in NFL
FILE PHOTO
Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton is entering his third NFL season.
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